Abstract
The 2-bottle choice procedure for assessing sucrose preference is a useful test to investigate anhedonia (i.e., inability to feel pleasure) in laboratory rodents, particularly in stress-based models of depression. The 2-bottle choice procedure allows for a comparison between behavioral preference for sucrose solution in drinking water compared to water only. Preference is measured by volume and/or weight of liquid consumed daily, which is then converted to a percent preference compared to a water only baseline period. Sucrose preference is attenuated by a diversity of chronic stressors, including chronic mild and unpredictable stress (Willner et al., 1992; Willner, 1997; Pothion et al., 2004) and social defeat stress (Krishnan et al., 2007). It may also be susceptible to perturbation in mouse models of drug addiction because sucrose preference is altered in drug-dependent individuals (Kampov-Polevoy et al., 1997; Bogucka-Bonikowska et al., 2002; Janowsky et al., 2003). Both stress- and drug-induced alterations in sucrose preference may stem from maladaptations in the reward pathway, which consists of the dopaminergic neurons extending from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Indeed, alterations in cyclic-AMP response element binding protein (CREB) activity in NAc underlie preference for sucrose (Barrot et al., 2002). Additionally, the transcription factor ΔFosB in NAc (Wallace et al., 2008), but not dorsal hippocampus (Eagle et al., 2015), regulates natural rewards, such as sucrose consumption. Therefore, the sucrose preference test described below provides a well-validated model to assess anhedonia and the function of specific brain regions and circuits.
Keywords: Anhedonia, Reward, Mouse, Behavior, Drinking
Materials and Reagents
Equipment
Procedure
Notes
Acknowledgments
This behavioral procedure was adapted from previously published studies (Krishnan et al., 2007; Robison et al., 2014) and was performed by our group as described (Eagle et al., 2015). This work was supported by the Whitehall Foundation (AJR; 2013-08-43), the Multidisciplinary Training in Environmental Toxicology training grant (ALE; T32-ES007255), and a 2014 NARSAD Young Investigator Award from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (ALE).
References
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The metal sipper tubes fit snugly into the rubber stoppers. This is necessary to avoid leaks. You'll have to use significant force. We normally use a couple of wooden blocks, one with a hole drilled slightly larger than the tube. Place the stopper over the hole. The other block is used to place even downward pressure on the tube as it goes down into the stopper. The great thing is once the tube is in place, you don't have to take it out again.Alternatively, you could use a natural oil as lubricant.